


All you need is love and magic

by SwanQueen_Fairytale



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, slow burn swanqueen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-20
Updated: 2016-10-13
Packaged: 2018-05-27 22:51:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 20,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6303289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwanQueen_Fairytale/pseuds/SwanQueen_Fairytale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Regina Mills, Potions Master, at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry first meets the new Defense against the Dark Arts Professor, Emma Swan, she never expected the shy blonde to become her best friend. Let alone the love of her life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Familiar Surroundings

Ugh, students. Students everywhere. Why couldn’t they just leave her alone. There was still days left until the Hogwarts Express would be setting off from Platform 9 3/4. But no, they had to be here at Diagon Alley to collect their final things for the start of school. Regina loved her teaching job at Hogwarts, she had always thought of herself as a great Potions master. She thought the students were great, well most of them anyway. She denied it when anyone said her Slytherin’s were troublesome and up to no good, instead she brought their attention to the old Potions master turned Headmaster turned hero at the Battle of Hogwarts over twenty years ago. Professor Severus Snape was, after all, a legend to anyone who cared to listen. But she still needed time away from those said students, and maybe a trip to Diagon Alley wasn’t the best decision she had ever made.

Sighing, Regina tied her cloak tighter around her slender body as she felt the cool August air whipping around her brunette curls. Concentrating on the task in hand, she made her way over to Gringotts Bank to collect what money she would need before heading over to The Leaky Cauldron to meet with her fellow staff members and long-time friends; Professor Ruby Lucas, Slytherin and Transfiguration teacher, and Professor David Nolan, Gryffindor and Muggle Studies teacher. Looking up as she entered the grand building of the bank, she made her way to the front desk where she was greeted by the surliest looking Goblin imaginable.

“Name” The goblin grumbled, looking up momentarily into the stunning features of the brunette.

“Regina Mills” She replied, standing up taller to exert her superiority.

“And does Miss Mills have her key?”

“Of course, do you take me for an imbecile?” Regina said, glaring at the Goblin who perched a little higher than the brunette on his stall and handing her key over.

Refusing to reply, the Goblin gestured to another to escort her to her vault which, luckily, did not take an age to get to. Gathering what money she would need, she smiled and gave a polite “thank you” to the Goblin who had escorted her to her vault before making her way to the exit and strolling towards the Leaky Cauldron. Glancing around, she noticed some fresh faces she did not recognise who would be first years and other faces she did recognise. Nodding politely to her Slytherin students who returned the gesture with either a smile or a quick “Professor”, she grasped the handle to the trusty pub giving it a gentle push and into the warm air. Glancing around as she stepped over the threshold, she spotted her two colleagues chatting amongst themselves whilst nursing a butterbeer each. 

“Good Afternoon, Miss. What will it be?” The surly looking bartender asked, spotting her as she stepped it.

“Butterbeer, if you wouldn’t mind” Not taking her eyes of her friends, who had looked up and offered a smile as they heard her sultry voice. Grasping the handle of the flask handed to her, she waltzed over to the table and took her seat beside David.

“Well Mills, so good of you to join us. I was prepared to call the Ministry to pronounce you as missing” The brunette across from her grinned.

“Well I’m glad I saved you the trouble Lucas. The Goblins at the bank are a little hard to get along with” Regina grunted, taking a sip of the delicious butterbeer still firmly in her hand.

“I am ever so grateful we don’t have any at Hogwarts, or Hogsmeade for that matter” David laughed, nudging his brunette friend lightly on her shoulder.

“What purpose would we need them for? Dealing with Moaning Myrtle and Peeves when Headmistress McGonagall has had enough?” Regina snorted, remembering the last time Peeves had well and truly pissed off the Headmistress. She could literally see steam flittering through her ears.

“Quite, I’m sure Longbottom would find them useful”

“The only thing he finds useful is his precious Greenhouses. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a splendid chap who did his part wonderfully during the Battle but come on, we know the uses of a mandrake root and gillyweed by now” Regina laughed, eliciting small giggles from her two friends.

“True, how’s your holidays been then?” Ruby asked, taking a delicate sip from her butterbeer.

“Nothing exciting, took the opportunity to travel a bit. Went to New Zealand for a couple of weeks then to Scotland for four to visit Zelena” Regina replied, recalling the more exciting events of her holidays.

“Oh, how is your sister?” Ruby said rather excitingly, remembering their last meeting in the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade.

“She is doing well, celebrated her third wedding anniversary to Robin when I was there. Her little girl Ivy is doing well too, she is just too adorable” Regina smiled, thinking of how excited her niece had been when she visited.

“Christ, I remember when she had just been born. Reminded me of when our little Neal arrived. Mary was ever so delighted with our little bundle of joy” David laughed.

“Not so little now though is he, isn’t he starting his first year this year?” Ruby asked.

“He is indeed, we gathered his stuff the other day so he’s all set” David nodded along.

“I bet he was eager when he received his wand” Regina said.

“He sure was, 91/2 inch with unicorn hair. Reminded me of myself when I was younger” David stated, lengthening his hand to approximately that length with a beaming smile etched on his handsome features.

“Just so you know David, I won’t be going easy on him just because he’s your son” Regina said.

“I would think less of you if you did Regina” David grinned, taking a small sip of his drink before retracting his flask to show a white moustache evident on his upper lip. This, of course, elicited fits of giggles from the two brunettes staring at him before he quickly wiped the evidence away.

“Oh, by the way I heard we are getting a new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher. Better be a better one than last year” Ruby voiced.

“Indeed, they just seem to be getting worse and worse. Still can’t shake that memory of the escaped boggart causing havoc in the library” Regina shuddered.

“Oh I found that hilarious, did you see the way that third year Ravenclaw squirmed when faced with life size worms. Worms, of all creatures, never hear of someone with a fear of worms” Ruby laughed, shaking her head slightly at the mere thought.

“I’ve heard of someone with a fear of rubber ducks. That Weasley fellow would have a field day” Regina said.

“Better than your fear, Mills. What is it with you and mirrors” David joked, nudging his friend slightly on the shoulder. 

“What? It not that weird. I just don’t like the thought of looking in a mirror and seeing someone else staring back at me” Regina shuddered.

“And when would that ever happen?”

“I don’t know, I’m just a cautious woman” Regina sighed, starting down at her ever decreasing supply of butterbeer “I wander what this new professor will be like, though.” She said, steering the conversation away from unwanted territory.

“Who knows, we shall be meeting this mysterious person tomorrow when we arrive back at Hogwarts” Ruby muttered through gulps of her own drink.

“Indeed, anyway I must be off. Supplies need to be purchased before my return later” Regina finished the rest of her butterbeer, stood from her stool and threw her cloak back over her back and made for the door with a final wave over her shoulder.

“Of course, see you soon Mills.” Ruby grinned, raising her glass in a cheers gesture.

“Tata Regina” David laughed, shaking his head as Ruby downed the rest of her drink.

Smiling, Regina reached the door and opened it to be faced with the bitter British weather. Wrapping her cloak a bit tighter round her, she made her way down the street and towards her first stop for Potions supplies. Her thoughts drifted to the new professor who she would finally be meeting tomorrow. She wandered whether they would be a confident man with the grace of a King or a bumbling buffoon who could be mistaken as a miniature troll. Smirking at her odd thoughts, she opened the door to the familiar shop to collect her final items before setting off to the familiar environment of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry that she had called her home away from home for the past three years.


	2. A Warm Welcome

She wasn’t nervous. She didn’t get nervous. It wasn’t her first time at Hogwarts after all. But this time was, of course, different than the last. This time she would be filling the role as the notorious Defence against the Dark Arts teacher. Sighing, Emma bunched her hair in a tight bun before looking forlornly at her expression in the mirror. Her green eyes were what most people noticed about her, strikingly set against pale skin. Then the messy blonde curls on the top of her head. She was an attractive woman, and she took pride in that.

Emma Swan had arrived at Hogwarts a few days before the start of term along with the rest of the professors to settle themselves back into their personal quarters. She had decided on a simple ensemble for the day, before she was introduced to the other professors she would be working alongside at Hogwarts. Her red leather jacket the pride of her wardrobe, something she had owned since she left Hogwarts as a student approximately five years ago. She shoved her wand in the inside pocket of her jacket before she placed her effects into the back pockets of her black skinny jeans and pulled her boots on after.

Making sure she had everything she needed, Emma made her way to the door and opened it to be faced with the familiar scene of the long corridors at Hogwarts. She hadn’t really been to this part of the castle before but she knew where she needed to go. Making her way quickly to Headmistress McGonagall’s office, she was surprised to not bump into any other professors on her travels. Even if this castle was large, she was walking down the corridor holding most of the quarters to the professors. Besides, she guessed most of them would be having breakfast.

Before she knew it, Emma stood in front of the impressive entrance to the office and spoke the password given to her when she arrived.

“Valar Morghulis” she muttered, knowing the phrase to be from that British TV-show she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Making her way up the stairs and to the ornate, wooden door she knocked once waiting for a reply.

“Enter” a stern voice spoke from behind the door.

Exhaling a breath to steel herself, she opened the door into the large office of the Headmistress and greeted her with a smile.

“Ah, good morning Professor Swan. May I say what a pleasure it is to have you here” McGonagall said from behind her large desk, placing her glasses on the parchment in front of her.

“Good morning Headmistress. I am looking forward to starting the school year. My nerves, however, have been getting the better of me from the rumours that have been in circulation about the unfortunate luck most professors in this role seem to have” Emma laughed nervously, setting herself down gracefully in the chair opposite McGonagall.

“Oh don’t worry about that nonsense, students love to make a fuss over nothing. Besides our last professor left for better things, getting rather old if you ask me” McGonagall muttered, not exactly a spring chicken herself.

“Quite, if I may ask when will I get the chance to meet my fellow professors?” Emma asked.

“In a few minutes. I just wanted to get the chance to welcome you to Hogwarts, it is after all your home now. We shall make our way down to the Great Hall where breakfast and the other professors are waiting to greet you” McGonagall smiled, standing from her seat and rounding her desk whilst grabbing her wand and cloak.

Standing from her seat, she followed the Headmistress through the door and down the stairs before taking the familiar corridor down to the large double doors beyond which the Great Hall was held. Opening them, she couldn’t help but feel proud of the world she lived in glancing around the huge, beautifully crafted walls. Candles flickering on both sides and above her head, she looked dead ahead and spotted most of the professors sat along the table at the front staring up at her. A large array of trays of breakfast items were placed along the table in front of the professors. 

“Good morning everyone, I would like to introduce to you all Professor Emma Swan. I hope you welcome her with open arms” McGonagall smiled, looking back at Emma before rounding the table and taking her seat in the large chair set in the middle of the table.

“Welcome Professor Swan, let me introduce myself. I’m Ruby Lucas, transfiguration professor and this is Regina Mills, Potions master” Ruby said, standing from her seat whilst holding her hand out to shake her own then gesturing to the woman sat on her left.

“Good morning” Emma replied, rounding the table to sit beside Ruby on her right.

“It’s good to finally meet you, it’s been a while since we’ve had a young, attractive woman take this role” Regina said, grinning as she looked the blonde up and down before reaching out her own hand for her to shake. Emma shivered under the appreciative stare of the beautiful brunette.

“Oh behave, Mills. Ignore my friend, she thinks she’s oh so charming. Have you settled in ok?” Ruby asked, gently slapping Regina on the shoulder which in turn elicited a small “ow” from the brunette whilst rubbing the place she hit.

“Yes, thank you. It felt odd at first being in the Professors quarters part of the castle, I’m still used to seeing the Fat Lady and the Gryffindor common room” Emma laughed.

“A fellow Gryffindor you say? Welcome partner!” A muscular man from next to Regina announced, extending his hand.

“Oh my apologies. This is David Nolan, Muggle studies Professor so we tend to ignore his insights” Regina joked, poking her tongue out to the man.

“Hey, you didn’t mind when I showed you how to work an iPhone” David muttered, pushing her lightly on the shoulders.

“Yes, but you were useful then. For once” Regina laughed, nudging David just a little harder back.

“I’m always useful, I’ll have you know. I showed you how to work that hoover too” David said, a grin growing on his face as he noticed the flushed expression on Regina.

“Oh dear, is that the hoover she seemed overly attached to when celebrating her last birthday?” Ruby muttered, covering her eyes and shaking her head as she remembered the embarrassing moment her friend had wheeled the hoover around whilst yelling “Come on, Henry!”

“I was drunk, guys” Regina blushed, sinking further down into her seat whilst tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

“Yes, buy why were you calling it Henry? It wasn’t even a Henry hoover!” David laughed.

“I don’t know, blame my intoxicated brain. Shouldn’t have got me on the fire whiskey”

Emma couldn’t help but smile and chuckle under her breath as she watched the three friends interact about past events. She knew the effects that bloody drink had, and she couldn’t even remember most of her actions whilst on the stuff.

“How long has everyone worked here then?” Emma asked, watching as all three friends turned their attention to her and away from their conversation.

“This is my fourth year here and these two have been working for three” Ruby replied, pointing to Regina then David “They came here together”

“Oh, are you two related?” Emma wandered. They didn’t look alike; David having short brown hair with wide shoulders, blue eyes and a tall frame whilst Regina had beautiful chocolate eyes, long, silky brown hair and a smaller yet much more elegant frame. She admired Regina’s featured for longer that should be deemed appropriate. To Emma, she was nothing less than a goddess. A Queen. 

“No, we studied here together and then moved close to each other. I still can’t believe I am friends with a Gryffindor of all people” Regina chortled, staring the man beside her down which in turn earned her a glare then a mischievous grin from the brown haired man.

“Whatever, Mills. I shall have you know that Gryffindor’s and Slytherin’s do get along most of the time” David muttered.

“Ah, the age long battle between the Lion and the Snake” Emma laughed, finally turning her attention to the food in front of her when she felt her stomach protest to not being fed since the night before.

“Of course, Hogwarts wouldn’t be the same without it” Regina laughed.

“What say we head out to the grounds for a wander after finishing here before students return to our lives tomorrow” Ruby asked, rubbing her now full belly from the stacks of bacon she had consumed.

“Sounds good to me. Thank you, for being so kind to me. I have to admit I was incredibly nervous to start working here. I only left here five years ago” Emma gave them a warm smile, as she ate what food she could.

“Oh don’t worry about it, you stick with us and you shall do fine” Regina grinned, placing a comforting hand on the blondes own as her eyes locked with Emma’s emerald ones. Emma decided there and then that she could easily get lost in those beautiful chocolate orbs across from her, which terrified her. Terrified, but excited her. She was feeling more and more confident by the minute.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any compliments or criticisms would be very much appreciated!   
> Bonus points if anyone can guess where "Valar Morghulis" is from!


	3. The Sorting Ceremony

Regina always enjoyed the start to the year. She loved getting back into her lessons, teaching the students how not to burn a hole in the bottom of their cauldrons or how to brew a perfect shrinking solution. But before that, came the gruelling task of sitting through the sorting ceremony which was to commence in the next hour. Seated between Ruby and David on the Professors table, she looked across Ruby’s shoulders to spot Emma nervously twiddling her thumbs and biting her lower lip whilst scanning the room to the already seated second year to seventh year students. She couldn’t help but find this shy, awkward looking blonde completely adorable.

“Hey Swan” Emma looked up to lock eyes with her “Don’t look so nervous, she is just going to introduce you to which you stand up and give your warmest smile then take your seat again. Just don’t do the Umbridge and go into a full, boring speech about what bullshit you will be shoving down the student’s throats!” Regina chuckled, noticing the blonde relax and heave a sigh of relief.

“Thanks Regina, it all just reminds me of when I was first sorted” Emma said, smiling and gazing back out to the rows and rows of students.

“Well, this is much more fun. You get to see the faces of the terrified first years getting sorted themselves” Ruby piped in, looking up into the blonde’s eyes with a smile “And then there’s the buffet that follows. Just watch out for the Slytherin student’s, they like to have eating contests don’t they Mills” Ruby then turned to give her a questioning glare.

“I so did not teach them that” Regina replied, grinning as she looked over to the Slytherin table.

“I remember you being quite the competitive student back in our day. Not like you ever won anything though” David chortled, turning to face the brunette to his right.

“Whatever” Regina sulked, crossing her arms and slouching in her chair.

As they all turned to face Regina whilst giggling under their breaths, the door to the Great Hall opened revealing the fresh new faces of the first years. Most of the faces looked eager and excited to start their first year, others looked terrified whilst a select few stared with wide eyes towards the ceiling. Emma loved the look of awe in all their faces, remembering her reaction upon entering this very room approximately twelve years ago. Looking to her right, she spotted McGonagall standing from her seat and making her way over to the podium to welcome the new arrivals.

“Welcome students of Hogwarts to the new year of school. And welcome to our new additions on this fine evening. You will momentarily be called upon by Professor Booth to take your seat on this stall to be sorted into your houses. The houses are as follows; Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. Once sorted you will take your seats at the table, before we commence the fest. So, without further ado” McGonagall boomed, her stern voice reaching all corners of the Great Hall before looking over to a tall, dark haired man holding a scroll in one hand and a hat that she instantly recognized as the Sorting Hat in the other and nodding.

The man, the name of which Emma guessed was Professor Booth and then momentarily realizing she hadn’t met all her co-workers as of yet, made his way over to the stall and gently placed the decrepit hat onto the stall.

“Katie Amys” he called, after which a tall, brown haired girl silently made her way to the stall and sat down, placing the hat on top of her head.

“HUFFLEPUFF” the hat boomed, before being removed so the girl could make her way to the cheering students.

“Milah Gold” Booth’s voice yelled over the cheering, whilst another blonde haired girl made her way confidently through the crowd and took her seat.

“SLYTHERIN” called the hat, upon which she heard Regina mutter a silent “yes” under her breath before leaning forward in her chair.

“Neal Nolan” Booth yelled, which made all four colleagues lean even further forward in their seat. Emma had already been informed that David’s son would be commencing his first year. She spotted a small, mousy haired boy with a confident look on his face stroll forward and took his seat on the stool.

“SLYTHERIN” the hat boomed, eliciting a gasp from all four friends. Ruby and Emma both turned round to see a shell shocked David and a smug looking Regina.

“Traitor” David muttered, shaking his head before allowing his forehead to fall on the cool, wooden table.

“Oi, Nolan. Watch what you say in front of this snake! He’s a good child, he will do fine in Slytherin” Regina said, her grin not leaving her face but instead growing wider as she noticed David growing uncomfortable under her glare.

“Well that was a shock” Ruby giggled, facing the blonde next to her before turning to look at Booth calling out for another student to step forward.

“Killian Jones” he called from over the scroll, spotting a dark haired boy with a smug grin on his face step forward and take his seat.

“Hmmmmm… GRYFFINDOR” the hat called, before the room was filled with whoops and cheers coming from the table on the far left. 

Approximately thirty students had been called up and sorted before McGonagall stood from behind the table to announce the beginning of the feast.

“Congratulations to all the students sorted today. Let me now take the opportunity to introduce our new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Emma Swan” She turned around, locked eyes with the blonde and gave a slight not, indicating for her to stand and introduce herself.

Scanning the crowd, she noticed all eyes on her. Some wore smiles on their faces, others with a less amused and friendly look. Emma did as she was told, smiled to the crowd and bowed her head as graciously as she could despite the fact she could feel herself trembling from the looks on the many faces of the students.

“Let the feast begin!” McGonagall’s voice echoed, clapping her hands together firmly which signalled the arrival of platters filled with all sorts of meats, vegetables and other delectable looking foods in front of them. Soft murmurs could be heard in the Great Hall from the many conversations between students and professors. 

Wasting no time, Emma grabbed a plate and started piling chicken, potatoes and anything else that caught her eye before immersing herself in conversation with the others about the next British TV show the Headmistress was now intrigued with. Before long, she had forgotten about her nerves and was finally looking forward to officially meeting her eager students.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here's chapter three! Will try update every other day depending on how my work day goes! Please let me know what you think :D
> 
> P.S. the part about the henry hoover in the second chapter was based on an actual event in my life. An old lecturer of mine actually did wheel an ordinary hoover around our dorm saying "Come on Henry" but a) she wasn't drunk and b) she did it to cheer a friend of mine and myself up. It worked!


	4. First Day (Part 1)

Sunlight began to filter through her window when Emma Swan started to stir from her peaceful slumber. The rest of last night’s feast went without a hitch; the newly sorted first years seemed to settle in rather quickly, David got over his Gryffindor pride to congratulate his son and the Slytherin student’s seemed too exhausted to bother throwing spoonful’s of mashed potato at each other. However, Regina seemed a tiny disappointed at the lack of enthusiasm coming from her fellow Slytherin’s. Emma was sure that she was still a Hogwarts student at heart, young and carefree. But there was still something about the brunette professor that intrigued her. Yes, she was a beautiful woman with a bubbling personality. You would have to be blind not to notice her stunningly beautiful dark chocolate eyes, her slender figure that just oozed sex appeal and her perfectly coifed hair falling freely down her back. But there was still more to her that Emma wanted to get to know, she wanted to discover everything she could about the brunette but what terrified her most was how much she wanted to tell Regina about herself. She hadn’t done that since Lily, and what a disaster that turned out to be.

Lily had been someone that she thought she could confide in, tell her darkest secrets to and not be judged or humiliated. She had told Lily about her days in the muggle foster system, getting past from foster home to group home then back again. She had told Lily about her days in prison, how the prison guards only cared about one thing and that certainly wasn’t the prisoner’s safety. No, she still had that scar on her hip from that unrequited knife fight in the bathroom. Heck, Lily was even the first person she came out to. Not that there was ever really anyone else she could share that information with other than the numerous women who had warmed her bed for the night before getting thrown out onto the street. Until Christmas Eve of 2011, when her spunky brunette friend who she gave everything to had up and run as far away as she could with no word of an explanation. That’s when those god damn trust issues began, and the therapy.

Sighing, Emma shook her head to rid her unwanted thoughts and scrambled out of the cozy bed to prepare for her first teaching day. She had been getting more and more excited as the evening went on and couldn’t keep the grin off her face even as she made her way back from the hall, arm in arm with Ruby and Regina. Giggling, the three women had spoken about the new password McGonagall had elected to use on the gargoyle standing guard to her office.

**Last Night**

_“Have you heard the new password McGonagall is using now?” Ruby muttered, swaying slightly from the amount of fire whiskey now coursing through her blood._

_“Oh god, its not something else from that Game of Thorns is it?" Regina mused._

_“Thrones, its called Game of Thrones. Idiot. You never listen!” Ruby corrected her, glaring slightly out of the corner of her eye._

_“I most certainly do, I just don’t care. There’s a difference.”_

_“Pfft, whatever. Anyway, no its not from that” The grin on Ruby’s face grew wide as she grew closer to the other women “Its Vatican Cameos!”_

_“Wait, isn’t that from the detective show with the pompous ass?” Emma asked._

_“Yeah, that’s the one. Sherlock it's called. Seriously though, what is it with her and TV shows. Next we shall hear she likes Marvel!” Ruby said._

_“Wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest” Regina stated “As much as I would love to continue chatting, my eyelids are starting to protest to staying open so I think I shall call it a night”_

_“Yeah same here, I want to at least know what I’m teaching tomorrow” Emma sighed, looking down slightly to hide her still evident worry even though her excitement had grown tenfold._

_“Swan, you’ll do fine. As I have said, you’re already leagues above the others. You know where my quarters are if you ever need someone to chat to, or any other needs you need my help with" Regina’s eyes twinkled mischievously, and Emma couldn’t help but smirk at the hidden meaning behind the statement._

_“Regina, you’re insatiable!” Ruby laughed, slapping her friend lightly on her shoulder whilst unhooking their arms._

_“Well, you know me!” Regina grinned._

_“Too well, although you do still surprise me. Why you insisted on running round Hogsmeade pretending to drive a car and yelling ‘BROOM BROOM’ is beyond me” Ruby said._

_“I was drunk! Again!” Regina gasped._

_“Fire whiskey?” Emma asked, smirking at Regina at how often the brunette made a fool of herself. She would never admit to it being completely adorable, even if it was._

_“Maybe…” Regina blushed at her weakness to the drink._

_“And what is it with you and muggle inventions anyway? You act like an idiot around them!” Ruby juked._

_“Oh shut it Lucas, they intrigue me!” Regina pointed out._

_Laughing together, they bid each other goodnight before going their separate ways._

**Present Time**

Grinning slightly at the memory, Emma threw her professional looking cloak on to make a good first impression and gathered her effects before exiting her quarters. She then proceeded down the corridor on the right and made her way to the classroom situated on the third floor. The walk didn’t take long, even when tackling the moving staircase and before long the blonde was sat in her classroom preparing the books and parchment for her first lesson with Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw first years.

She knew she had time to spare before her students arrived, so she let her thoughts wander a bit more than she would have normally allowed. She thought back to her first year at Hogwarts, settling in quickly in the Gryffindor common room and making allies with a tall, dark haired boy named Graham Humbert. She would always remember his firm yet comforting features, reassuring her when she would panic over an essay. She definitely needed that face during her OWLs. She then let her thoughts wander to Lily and began to think what her old brunette friend of six years was up to now. Whether she had found her long lost parents just like the blonde had tried to find hers. Before long, she was back to thinking about that other plucky brunette who managed to invade her thoughts.

She knew what she wanted from the brunette, she wanted to trust her and in turn be trusted and the thought of a beautiful friendship blossoming with her had Emma grinning like the Cheshire cat. However, the thought of something more than friendship was always lingering in the back of her mind. She didn’t even know if Regina liked women, she knew she had been a bit flirtatious towards her but what good was that to her? That didn’t exactly give her much to play with, but she did like a bit of a challenge. And oh what a challenge the woman was looking to be.

“Professor Swan?” A tall, brown haired girl wearing her Hufflepuff uniform stood in front of the desk staring intently at the blonde lost in thought.

“Hmm? Oh, I do apologise. Lost in my own world for a moment there” Emma replied, looking up into the eager face of her student “Sorry, what is your name?”

“Amys, Katie Amys” The girl replied rather excitedly.

“Oh yes, I saw you getting sorted into Hufflepuff yesterday. Anyway, if you would care to take a seat” Emma said, gesturing to a seat behind the girl before standing from her own. Looking up, she saw approximately 20 students entering her classroom ready to start the day and taking their seats.

“Good morning students, let me take this time to officially introduce myself. My name is Professor Swan, and I very much look forward to teaching you for the foreseeable future. These books” the books began to levitate at the swish of her wand “will be your guide for the year to Defence against the Dark Arts. Any issues, do not hesitate to speak up. Are we all clear” Emma asked.

“Yes Professor” the class replied in unison.

“Good, so lets begin” Emma began, looking in to the expectant eyes and wide smiles of her students and returning her own welcoming smile ready to face the challenges that lay ahead.

Soon enough, she had successfully intrigued her bright eyed first years with different spells for defence and forgotten all about her thoughts surrounding Regina. Little did the blonde know, down in the dungeons Regina was having similar thoughts about her and was determined to get what she wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy it :) 
> 
> P.S. I have been thinking on starting a third story which is to do with my profession and I haven't seen anything done on it. Is it a good idea to have three stories going at the same time or should I stick with this one and Breaking Rules for now?
> 
> Any comments are much appreciated!


	5. First Day (Part 2)

Regina groaned, rolling slightly to face the offending light coming through her window. She could feel the start of a headache coming along, not the best start to the first day of lessons. Why did she even drink last night when she knew what it would do to her the day after. Sighing, she slowly clambered out of bed wincing slightly at the pain in her head. She hadn’t realised she had drunk enough to give her a splitting headache. Making her way over to her small kitchen situated behind a partitioning separating her bedroom from the rest of her quarters, she gave a slight wave of her wand to allow the coffee to brew itself. There was no way she was doing it when she felt this rough. _Oh god,_ she thought, _first lesson teaching seventh year Gryffindor and Slytherin students. Shit._ Before she could contemplate the many different scenarios running through her head where this day could go impossibly wrong, a knock at her door brought her back to the real world. Steadily making her way over whilst rubbing her aching temple, she grabbed her brewed coffee and robe to cover her a little too revealing night gown for this early in the morning before pulling the door open.

“Ruby” Regina groaned.

“Good morning to you too. Feeling a little rough?”

“The understatement of the century. Did I drink that much last night?” Regina asked.

“Not really, but it was fire whiskey you were downing and you kept being oh so flirty with our dear Swan” Ruby grinned, raising her eyebrow at the flushed expression on her brunette friends face.

Stuffing her face in her hands, Regina let out a guttural groan “Oh god, I didn’t scare her off did I?”

“Not in the slightest, quite the opposite I think. She seems quite taken with you Mills” Ruby stated.

Regina couldn’t help the smile growing wider on her face or her eyes growing softer at the statement. She had to admit, she was quite taken with the blonde beauty she had met only two days ago. She hadn’t felt like this since she first met Daniel. Now that felt like a lifetime ago.

 _Oh Daniel,_ she thought, _what am I to do?_ Regina knew where these feelings would hopefully lead, but she didn’t know if she could go through the heartbreak again.

Daniel would always have a piece of her heart, she took this as a fact. He had been her first love, her best friend and her confidant. He had been the one by her side through her seven years studying at Hogwarts. He had taught her so much, without him she would have never ridden a broom let alone playing beater on the Slytherin Quidditch team for four years. She would be forever grateful for his patience, love and guidance. His disappearance six years ago crushed Regina’s heart, left her bitter and alone with no idea where he had gone. Unfortunately, she still had no idea where her Daniel was and she had come to realise she probably would never know. But now this Swan had interrupted her life in a way she had so desperately missed, and Regina knew she didn’t want to lose her. Even if she could never have her in the way she wanted, the possibility of becoming best friends with this beautiful blonde still made her heart flutter.

“Oi, Mills!” Ruby shouted, clicking her fingers in front of her glazed expression.

“Oh sorry Ruby. Just thinking” Regina once again couldn’t hide the smile evident on her features.

“I could tell. Wanna spill what your head was thinking?” Ruby grinned, clasping her hands in front of her body whilst rocking on her heels.

“Not really, well not yet. I’m not ready. For many things” She sighed “Look, I really need to get ready for my lesson and this coffee is gradually growing cold” Ruby flicked her wand and instantly heated the coffee earning a glare from Regina “Ok, that’s solved that. Was there a reason for your visit this fine morning?”

“Nah, just wanted to say have fun with those seventh years” Ruby said.

“Don’t remind me” Regina growled, shaking her head before wincing at the movement.

“Bye Regina” Ruby spun on her heels and skipped off down the corridor, her cloak billowing behind her.

Regina shook her head slightly before turning on the spot and shutting her door. Sipping her now hot coffee, she began to organize her parchments and belongings she would need for her first day of lessons. She knew that her morning routine of getting ready for the day would not take long, having magic to speed things along admittedly helped with that. She did, however, enjoy the routine without the use of her magic to enable her time to reflect on the past and think towards the future. Such as, how the hell she was going to survive through her two hour Advanced Potions lesson with seventh year students. Or what the hell Ruby meant when she had said Emma was quite taken with her, hoping it meat as more than just friends or colleagues.

Slipping out of her robe and nightgown and discarding them on her already made bed, Regina quickly ran herself a much needed hot shower. The running water soothed her aching muscles and surprisingly relieved the throbbing in her head. The scent of vanilla and apple spices soon insulted her senses as she began to lather a healthy amount of body wash into her hands and worked it over her body. Before long, the brunette had washed off the excessive use of body wash and shampoo and dried herself off, this time with the use of a drying spell as she realised she only had half an hour to make it down to the dungeons.

Throwing on her clothes for the day, she gathered the effects she had previously prepared and placed her cloak delicately over her shoulders before exiting her quarters and heading towards the dungeon. The walk usually never took her long to reach her classroom, but today her head whirred with thoughts of Emma and how much she wanted to get to know the blonde woman. She couldn’t help but ponder on whether the woman was also thinking about their budding friendship or considered her only a mere colleague. Smiling, she rather hoped it was the former than the latter giving her a much needed confidence boost. All she could hope for in this early stage was a growing friendship with her before building into anything else.

She reached her classroom with five minutes to spare and waltzed in with the grace of a Queen, relishing in the worried expression on her students faces at her tardiness.

“Good morning class” Regina began “I hope you all had a marvellous summer, but now it’s time to prepare you fully for your N.E.W.T’s”

At this, all her students groaned with an additional extra letting their heads fall on their desk with a thud.

“Now is that the type of attitude I expect from you?” Regina asked

“No Professor” her class replied in unison.

“Good, if you would all like to open your books and we shall begin studying the effects of the ageing potion and its properties”

Regina smiled at the practiced move by her students, knowing full well not to cross or question the woman in front of them and do as they were told. She took pride in how she handled her students, even if she was faced with a room full of Slytherin and Gryffindor seventh year students. Her earlier worries had seemed to disappear now that she was fully prepared to start the class and the day. Her thoughts towards the blonde professor soon placed in the back of her mind, not knowing that only a few floors up that very same professor had been thinking tirelessly about the beautiful brunette.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slight delay, went to Belgium to visit my family as I am half Belgian. Got to be honest, was a difficult experience given the circumstances but I'm back!
> 
> Any comments greatly appreciated :)


	6. A Promise of More

Even if she had enjoyed her first day of teaching at Hogwarts, Emma was relieved when the end of the day came around and she was ready to tuck into the glorious feast. She had made it through her first lesson with her first years successfully and kept them entertained with the many different spells she was able to discuss with them. Then came her second lesson, third year Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students who proved to be a lot more lively than she ever was in her third year. They seemed to enjoy the subject of boggarts and began discussing different fears that the students would face. Finally, her sixth year Slytherin and Ravenclaw students seemed not so interested in her subject topic of the unbreakable vow.

She had made it back to her quarters soon after her final lesson had concluded to grab a quick shower before heading down to the Great Hall for the end of day feast. Making her way to her shower cubicle situated through the wooden door beside her bed, she began shedding clothes as she went and grabbed a clean towel from her drawer. Turning on the jet of hot water, she instantly pushed her face under the relaxing stream of water and felt rejuvenated from her busy day. Before long, she had scrubbed her body and hair vigorously and stepped out of the shower to wrap her freshly heated towel around her slender frame and began to make her way towards her bedroom when she heard a faint knock on her door.

Sighing, she strode towards the door and grasped the handle before swinging the door open and not caring in the slightest that her towel was still wrapped around her body showing off a generous amount of thigh and cleavage. However, she stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of the brunette woman in front of her with wide eyes, then smirking as she raked her towel covered form in a pleasing manner and coughing slightly to bring them both back to reality.

“Hi”

“Hi” Emma muttered back at the quick comment.

“Sorry, I. Uh. I can come back” Regina stuttered, beginning to stalk off towards her chambers.

“No that’s ok, won’t take me long to change. Come in, take a seat” Emma said, stepping back to allow the brunette to enter and take a seat at the large sofa facing her fireplace. She made her way towards her bedroom, drying herself with her towel as she went before picking up her wand and letting it do the rest. She quickly dressed in her typical white tank top, skin tight jeans and blue leather jacket then made her way back towards the brunette woman who was crouched in front of her fireplace controlling the fire that was now flickering away peacefully. It was then that Emma took in the brunette’s attire; black slacks that hugged her curves and accentuated her ass, white blouse that showed off ample cleavage and black fuck-me heels along with the ends of her brunette hair curled slightly, falling gracefully over her striking features.

“How was your day?” Emma asked, heading towards her drinks cabinet “Would you like a drink?”

“No thank you, still nursing a slight headache from that damn fire whiskey. My day went very well, thank you. Never known a bunch of Slytherin and Gryffindor students to get along as well as my seventh years this morning” Regina laughed, remembering just how easily it was to control her first lesson of her busy day as Emma poured herself a small amount of fire whiskey.

“That is a bit of a shocker, I remember trying to go head to head with Slytherin’s in my final year. My friend, Graham, and I always tried to outsmart them” Emma grinned at the memory of her former best friend.

“Now that would be difficult, us snakes are cleverer than you think” Regina giggled, re-taking her seat on the couch next to Emma.

“What can I do for you this evening?” Emma asked, facing the brunette and taking a swig of her drink.

“Well, I was wondering whether you fancied joining myself, Ruby and David at the Three Broomsticks later this evening after tea” Regina replied, locking eyes with the blonde next to her. She was mesmerized by the colour of those eyes, and by how much warmth emanated from them.

“Of course, I would love to” Emma said, smiling at Regina and placing her now finished glass on her coffee table “When are you going for tea?”

“After this, if you fancy joining me?”

“Sure, why not. Wouldn’t turn down that invitation” Emma grinned “You know, you really remind me of an old friend I used to have”

“Oh yeah? I hope that’s a good thing” Regina laughed. Emma decided in that moment that she loved the sound coming from the brunette, and she would do whatever she could to hear it again.

“Well in the way I’m thinking, then yeah. Her name was Lily. She was such a kind, open-minded person who I shared everything with. You remind me of her in that aspect” Emma said, directing her gaze to the warm fire still flickering strongly in her fireplace.

“What happened?” Regina asked, suddenly realising the subject may be a sore topic and gathering her senses “Oh, I’m sorry that’s rude of me. I mean we hardly know each other, I’m sorry you don’t have to answer if it’s personal” Regina stuttered.

“Regina, it’s ok. I want to get to know you, if you will let me” Emma said, smiling warmly at the brunette and placing a comforting hand on the bunettes own, who gave her a similar smile in return “To answer your question, I don’t know. She just left, out of the blue. No goodbye, no sorry, no explanation. Just left me, one Christmas Eve. She was my best friend” Emma sighed, her eyes beginning to fill with unwanted tears as she spoke.

“I’m sorry, Emma. If it reassures you, I won’t do that to you, I won’t leave. I want to get to know you to” Regina said, reaching out with her free hand to tilt the blonde’s chin up to meet her gaze.

For a second, they both got lost in the moment just staring into each other’s eyes. The promise of a beautiful friendship still in the air, as both women instinctively grew closer to the other all the while not tearing their gaze away. A knock at the door made both women jump up, coughing and stuttering at the growing sexual tension in the room.

“Sorry, let me just get that” Emma muttered, making her way to the door and silently cursing whoever was on the other side. She opened the door to be greeted by her other brunette friend, glancing first to Emma then to a blushing Regina sat on the couch breathing heavily.

“Hey guys, you coming down?” Ruby asked, grinning at her friends red faces.

“Of course, give us a minute” Emma replied, grabbing her wand and instantly dousing the flames in her fireplace “You ready Regina?” Emma asked, facing the brunette still perched on her couch.

“Ready as I’ll ever be” Regina grinned, standing from her spot on the couch and striding towards her friends at the door.

She glanced across to her blonde friend, catching her eyes and smiling at the unsaid emotions running through both women’s heads and wandering just how long she could keep these feelings for the blonde bottled up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As it turns out, you can defeat writer's block by having a good day at work and watching Wallace and Gromit! 
> 
> Any comments greatly appreciated :D


	7. Finally Finished

As the first week of school drew to a close, Regina began to look forward to her weekend plans in Hogsmeade. She had arranged to meet with Zelena in the Three Broomsticks on Sunday who had travelled over from Scotland for the week to visit old school friends. The two sisters struggled to get along with each other when they first met, Zelena having been given up for adoption by their mother who could not afford to take care of her at the time. However, as the years went by they both put their differences aside and began to meet as regularly as they could and would otherwise talk through the use of Floo Powder and letters. She loved talking to her sister, she could speak to her about any worries or school troubles the brunette was having. Her relationship with Zelena meant so much to her.

She had also arranged to explore Hogsmeade with Ruby and Emma, all deciding to take the first weekend back as a chance to get to know each other in the comfort of Honeydukes or explore the place itself. Regina had started to confide in Emma about her past, trusting the blonde with her secrets. This had been a stepping stone in their growing friendship, it had taken her a long time to have trust in Ruby to do the same. She still wished for more from Emma, but had promised herself not to rush into anything without knowing how the blonde felt towards her.

She sighed, looking up at her classroom still filled with her final lesson of the day. They had been studying the properties of the shrinking solution and the correct steps to create the potion. It wasn’t the most interesting lesson for her students, to be honest neither was it for herself, but it was part of their criteria. She then proceeded to look over her already growing pile of marking that had to be completed before the start of the next week, and thought to herself that she would start after dinner had concluded. She wanted to spend the weekend doing only what she had planned. Taking her glasses off and placing them on her desk, she cleared her throat and began to talk to the class.

“Ok, that will be all for today. Please hand in the work you have done on the solution and I will see you next week. Don’t forget to study” She spoke, her class beginning to file out of their seats and towards her desk. Thank god her last lesson was Gryffindor and Hufflepuff second years, a pretty quiet group to finish the week.

She gathered her own things from her desk, including her marking that was starting to make her regret giving out so much homework this early on. Oh well, they had to learn life isn’t easy. Rising from her chair, she made her way over to her door and proceeded up the Dungeon steps and towards her quarters. What she wasn’t expecting to see when she arrived was an eager blonde, grinning from ear to ear at her.

“You look like you have been up to no good!”

“Hey, I aint no Marauders Map. Nor do I own it, unfortunately!” Emma grinned, shoving her hands into her back pockets which in turn puffed her chest out just a little bit more. Not by much, but the brunette still noticed the move.

“What do I owe the pleasure?” Regina asked, opening her door to allow Emma to enter.

“Just wanted to ask if you wanted to head down to the Great Hall together later” She replied, giving the brunette a warm smile before a blush rose on her cheeks.

“With you? Hmm, I’m not so sure about that” Regina teased.

“Oh shut up! How was your day?” Emma asked, taking a seat on her sofa in front of a now freshly lit fire. She breathed in the scent of burning wood and coal, secretly loving the smell as it relaxed her. The fire feeling like it warmed her from the inside out, relaxing her muscles and worries.

“Pretty good thank you, although I now regret giving out so much homework this early on. I want to get it all marked before tomorrow so I don’t have to think about it” Regina groaned, placing her papers onto the desk by the sofa none too carefully. A few pieces spilled over the edges, making her groan and Emma leap off the sofa to help with gathering them.

Whilst collecting all the papers that had spilled, their fingers brushed together momentarily. Both women blushed and locked eyes with the other, the tension in the room now beginning to build. Their breathing rates quickened, finally realising their close proximity. Emma couldn’t help but drop her gaze to the brunette’s plump lips before her, resisting the urge to surge forward and capture them in a searing kiss. She coughed, pulling both women out of the trance they had found themselves in.

“Here you go” Emma muttered, unable to look up into the face of the brunette.

“Ermm, thanks Emma. Let me just sort these out and then we can go down for dinner” Regina blushed, facing away from the blonde to hide her growing smile on her face at how much she affected Emma.

A knock at her door startled both women slightly, before wandering over to greet whoever was behind her door. Opening it, she was captured in a tight hug by her other brunette friend who pulled away with a grin.

“Ok, what is it with everyone having expressions on their face as if they were up to trouble” Regina asked, pulling away from the embrace to allow Ruby to enter.

“I’m sorry, I just can’t believe Zelena is visiting and for a week at that!” Ruby grinned, bouncing slightly on the spot. She took a seat next to Emma on the sofa, rubbing her hands together in front of the fire.

“She’s visiting school friends for a week, she’s visiting me on Sunday. That is as far as our interaction will be going this time. She knows how busy I get when school commences again” Regina groaned, she had hoped her sister could have stayed for longer but knew it would have to wait for next time.

“I know, I know. I’m still excited. Wait till you meet her Emma, that woman could give even Regina’s crazy drunk antics a run for their money” Ruby joked.

“I’m still secretly laughing at the Henry hoover story”

“Correction, the not so Henry hoover story” Ruby chuckled.

“Shut up you two, you are a bad influence on me Rubes” Regina groaned, sticking her tongue out at her friend.

“You were bad enough at you were before I met you” Ruby winked, causing a blush to grow on Regina’s features as she locked eyes with Emma who began to grim mercilessly.

“Screw you, are we going down to eat then? I’m starving”

This was the moment that Emma’s stomach began to make noises similar to that of a roaring lion. Blushing, Emma made her way out of the door.

“My stomach apparently agrees, keep up you two” She yelled over her shoulder, as the other two exited the chambers each chuckling at the blonde who had proceeded further down the corridor. Regina just couldn’t wait to get the marking over with, ready for her to enjoy her weekend. She had also been given a renewed amount of hope that something more could happen with Emma. All in good time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait, had a busy week and got unceremoniously thrown into a wall by one of the foals I work with. I was not impressed, been nursing a sore shoulder ever since!
> 
> Comments are much appreciated :)


	8. It's Decided

The early morning September breeze drifted through the open doors leading onto the courtyard situated outside the entrance to Hogwarts castle. She didn’t mind the breeze, she was used to the cold air after her days living on the street getting by on the little she owned. Her magic, at the time, did nothing for her given her age and lack of experience. Now the blonde was able to conjure another piece of clothing from her chambers without clambering back up the flights of stairs she had just come down.

Pulling the jumper that had appeared before her over her body, she stashed her wand back into her jeans and stepped out into the cool air. She was supposed to meet the others in the next hour at the entrance to Honeydukes. Even though the walk to Hogsmeade would only take her ten minutes, Emma wanted to get a head start and look around the blissful village before meeting with her friends for whatever adventures they could find themselves in. She enjoyed the company of the two women, laughing and joking about their life as students at the impressive school. However, she had begun to enjoy the time she had alone with Regina talking a bit more personally about their childhood and the troubles they had faced.

She had revealed to the brunette about her past as a foster child, never knowing who her real parents were or why they left her on the side of the road. She had spoken to Regina a little more about Lily, how they had met and what mischief they had gotten up to. It still surprised Emma how much trust she already had in the other woman, forever finding it hard to reveal too much about herself in case it was ever to be used against her.

Sighing, she walked through the village of Hogsmeade avoiding any interactions with students or teachers whom she did not want to see or speak to. This was something that came easy to her, avoid being seen from those around her. That was something else she so expertly picked up from her childhood best friend, other than her wavering sexuality and her lack of trust in people. Well, at least now she knew where she lay with her sexuality. Or better yet, who she lay with.

This was the moment Emma decided exactly how she felt towards the brunette. Yes, she definitely liked her as more than just a friend. She thought deeply about her feelings towards the other woman, pondering on how she felt towards her. The tension she felt between them the night before when alone in the brunette’s quarters made her heart flutter, her head feeling wispy and butterflies in her stomach. She had realised that she had missed feeling like this towards someone else, missing another person’s warmth next to her.  

She jumped when a tentative hand was placed on her shoulders from behind as she was still lost in thought. Turning to face the other person, she realized that it was Ruby smiling innocently at her.

“Hey, sorry if I made you jump” She muttered

“Oh, no worries. Just lost in thought” Emma said, smiling back and falling into step with Ruby as they wandered around the village.

“What are you doing here so early?” Ruby asked “Were not supposed to meet for another half hour”

“I just fancied walking around here for a bit, breathing in the fresh air instead of at the castle” Emma replied, shrugging “What about you?”

“I came to talk to a friend of mine, he runs the joke shop down there” Ruby said.

“Cool, what about if you don’t mind me asking”

“Well, it’s Regina’s birthday soon and he’s great at preparing legendary parties so I asked his opinion on a few things”

“Oh god, I can see you stocking up on something terrifying” Emma laughed.

“Terrifying for Regina, funny as hell for us” Ruby grinned, stopping outside the entrance to Honeydukes and spotting the woman of heir discussion “Here she comes, keep this quiet”

Emma nodded and looked around to see Regina stalking over to them, a grin on her features. Reaching the other two, she pulled them into a friendly hug but lingered perhaps a few seconds longer in Emma’s embrace, breathing in her essence.

“Why are we all here early?” Regina asked

“Well, we just wanted to get out of the castle for a walk. Didn’t we Em?” Ruby said, facing the blonde with a grin.

“Of course” Emma replied, grinning back at the other brunette.

Regina watched the exchange between the other two, a confused expression on her face. She knew they were up to something, but for now she would let it slide. All she wanted to do was enjoy the moments she had with the other two, even if her suspicions were growing increasingly as the other women kept on grinning as they looked at Regina.

“Ok, what is up with you two lately?” Regina asked.

“Nothing” They replied in unison “Come on, I want sweets” the blonde said, making her way into Honeydukes and leaving the other two alone.

“Seriously, what is it with you two? Are you two together or something?” Regina said bitterly, glaring at her friend.

“What, of course not. Regina it’s nothing like that” Ruby pointed out “Wait, are you jealous?”

“What, No! Don’t be so silly” Regina stated, walking further into the shop but making sure the blonde was out of earshot.

“Oh my god, you are! You do like her don’t you?”

Regina blushed, looking down and nodding gently.

“I knew it, have you told her?”

“No, at least not yet. I don’t want to scare her off if she doesn’t feel the same way, and I really want us to remain friends. I am going at this carefully, not head on like a raging bull” Regina grinned, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her eyes.

“Just tell her, I’m positive she feels the same way” Ruby said, leaving Regina behind as she made her way round the shop gather her favourite selection of sweets.

Regina really did want the other woman to feel the same way, but she still wanted to be cautious with how she approached this. If she was to be honest with the blonde, it would be on her terms and in the privacy of her chambers and with only the blonde there. She was not about to reveal her feeling here of all places. Deciding to tell the blonde later in the evening when they were alone together, she grinned and thought of how exactly she was to tell her. After all, it’s not every day you tell someone you have feelings for them. And definitely not someone so mysterious and captivating as Emma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next installment for you!
> 
> Any comments greatly appreciated :)


	9. Well, Here Goes Nothing

This was it, this was the moment Regina was going to tell Emma exactly how she felt. Well, it would be when the blonde arrived at her chambers later in the evening. After their enjoyable day out in Hogsmeade, the brunette felt it was the right time to speak to the other woman. When they arrived back at the castle, Regina had spoken to her asking if she wanted to come by later for a drink to which the blonde had said yes. Regina had been thinking of the best way to voice her feelings to the blonde ever since separating from the pair. Well, she didn’t want to make a meal out of what she was to say. Nor did she want to look like a fool in front of the other woman. Didn’t take much.

She had decided on a long, hot shower to mull her ideas over in her head before the arrival of the blonde. She had quickly dismissed the idea to just blurt it out, deciding the situation was a little too delicate to be blunt. After all, if it didn’t go to plan she still wanted to remain friends with the blonde. Therefore, she had been working out the right words to speak in order to remain sensible and in control of her feelings.

“Hi Emma, I feel we have been getting very close recently” Regina thought out loud “I think of you as a close friend, and someone I can trust deeply. But I have started to have feelings towards you, of the romantic kind. I don’t want to scare you off or make you feel like you need to return the feelings, but I didn’t want to not tell you in case you ever felt the same way and didn’t want to voice your feelings if you were worried that I wouldn’t feel the same”

Regina nodded along as her lips spoke what she had planned to say. Happy with her final product, she stepped out of her shower and used a drying spell to speed the process along. She donned a sensible pair of slacks, low cut blouse and black pumps before finishing the product with her typical spiced apple perfume. Finally ready to face the blonde with her finished speech, she relaxed back into her sofa and flicked her wand commanding a fire to erupt from her fireplace and two glasses to be filled with apple cider. After all, this was important to her so she was not about to touch a drop of fire whiskey lest she ruin the moment.

She didn’t know exactly when she was expecting the blonde, so the sudden knock at the door made Regina jump slightly at the noise. She stood up from her spot, walked to the door and took deep breaths to calm her growing nerves. Opening the door, the sight before her still managed to make her speechless.

Emma was dressed in her usual white tank top, muscular arms on display for all to see, her tight abs visible through the thin, tight material. Her legs were covered with sinfully tight jeans, and Regina knew if she turned round her ass would be just as tight against the material as her abs were. Her blue leather jacket was slung casually over her shoulders, blonde curls done up in a messy bun and her features wore a smile that the brunette adored.

“Hey” Emma spoke, rocking on her heels slightly and stuffing her free hand into her back pocket of her jeans. She still wondered exactly how the blonde could fit anything in those jeans with how much little space they offered.

“Hey, come in” Regina stepped aside allowing the blonde to step over her threshold, and giving the brunette a marvellous view of that ass she couldn’t help but stare at. _Keep calm Mills,_ she thought, _just breathe._

“I had a wonderful time today in Hogsmeade” Emma said, taking a seat on the sofa and slinging her jacket over the back of it.

“So did I. Cider?” She asked, handing the already filled glass over to the blonde who nodded eagerly.

“You excited for seeing Zelena tomorrow then?” Emma asked.

“Yes, she hasn’t visited me here for a while. She knows how busy I get when I work, so it’s quite lucky she’s visiting old friends”

“Quite” Emma grinned, taking a sip of her drink and not taking her eyes of the brunette who still stood by her drinks cabinet.

“You not sitting down?” She asked, patting the spot beside her and noticing the brunette shifting uncomfortably “You ok Regina?”

“Yes, well as much as I can be. I need to tell you something”

“Oh?”

Regina sat down next to the blonde and turned to face her fully on the sofa, tucking one leg underneath her. She looked up into the blonde’s face, offering a small smile before taking a deep breath ready to voice exactly what had been on her mind for some time now.

“Emma” she muttered, downing her drink in one swift move and placing it on her table “I feel that we have been getting very close recently given the short amount of time we have known each other”

Emma nodded along, watching the brunette as she closed her eyes to better steel her emotions.

“I think of you as a close friend, and someone I can trust deeply. But I have started to have feelings towards you, of the romantic kind. I don’t want to scare you off or make you feel like you need to return the feelings, but I didn’t want to not tell you in case you ever felt the same way and didn’t want to voice your feelings if you were worried that I wouldn’t feel the same” Regina spoke quickly, opening her eyes to look upon the features of the stunned blonde before her.

Emma didn’t know how to react to the confession, let alone what words to say. No one had ever told her how they felt towards her in such a way, most of the time they just threw themselves at her. Deciding she preferred this way much more, she placed her forgotten drink next to the brunette’s empty glass and faced the other woman. Taking a deep breath, she did something she thought she would never be able to do.

In one swift move, the blonde leant forward and captured the brunette’s lips in a kiss that silently voiced how she felt herself. Regina gasped, unable to move for a second before catching on to the situation and wrapping one hand behind the blonde’s neck to pull her closer and placing the other on Emma’s thigh. For a while they just sat there, enjoying the feel of the other woman’s lips on their own and not wanting the moment to end.

Tentatively, Regina swiped her tongue against the blonde’s lower lip asking for entrance which the blonde granted immediately. She moaned when her tongue came into contact with the blonde’s, dancing against one another in a battle for dominance. Emma placed both hands at the back of Regina’s head, pulling her lips even closer against her own and growling as the brunette nibbled her lower lip. Finally pulling away for air, both women couldn’t help grinning widely at the other and chuckling.

“I can’t believe that actually happened” Emma giggled, shuffling closer to the brunette and resting her forehead against the other woman’s.

“Me neither, I have honestly wanted to do that since I met you” Regina muttered, licking her kiss swollen lips before placing another chaste kiss against the blonde’s.

“Wow, we’re idiots”

“Indeed” Regina chuckled “Now what?”

Grinning, the blonde waggled her eyebrows playfully before leaning back in and capturing the brunette in another searing kiss, pushing her down onto the sofa. She straddled the other woman’s waist and grabbed her face in both her hands whilst the brunette grasped the blonde’s hips, pulling her closer.

“As much as I would like this to continue” Regina muttered against the other woman’s lips “And believe me I would, I think we should take this slow for now. We’re just getting used to one another and I don’t want to rush into this and regret it after”

Sighing, Emma reluctantly sat up properly and removed herself from the other woman “I know, got a little caught up in the moment” she grinned, grabbing the other woman’s hand and pulling her up into a sitting position. Regina smoothed her now ruffled hair down and smiled at the other woman.

“Do you want another drink?” She asked, watching on as the other woman downed the rest of her drink.

“No thank you, I think I should go before I do anything that I may regret. After all, as much as I agree that we should take this slow, doesn’t mean that I don’t want to take you right here on this very sofa until you pass out from sheer pleasure” Emma grinned mischievously.

Stunned, Regina kept thinking exactly why she decided to take this slow and silently hoped the blonde would launch herself at her. However, she knew this was the right thing to do. This was still new to them, and no matter how much they desired each other they would not mess up what could possibly be the best thing to happen to either of them.

“Oh, of course, quite. Well, I’m glad we had this… chat” Regina muttered, blushing and unable to look the blonde in the eye.

Emma placed a gentle finger under the brunette’s chin, raising her head and placing a gentle kiss onto lips she had silently decided she would never tire of kissing. Both women smiled into the kiss, before separating from the other and standing from the sofa. Emma reached to grab her jacket from her sofa and slung it over her shoulders.

They both walked to the door, rather slowly to extend the amount of time they spent together. Neither woman wanted this bubble they had created to break, but they couldn’t stay in each other’s company for the rest of their lives.

“Bye Regina” The blonde said, opening the door and exiting before she had a chance to change her mind.

“Bye” Regina muttered, closing the door and slumping against the hard wood grinning. Well, that went far better than she ever expected and she was far too excited for what lay ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the first kiss!!
> 
> Any comments are much appreciated fellow SwanQueen shippers:D


	10. Meeting Family

The ambiance in the Three Broomsticks on Sunday morning was quiet and serene, most people out enjoying what sunshine they could instead of sitting in the small space of the pub. Regina didn’t mind, she enjoyed the quiet. It enabled her to let her mind wander to whatever was bothering her. However, the brunette hadn’t felt this happy for as long as she could remember. All she could think about was her interaction with the blonde professor the night before, both women finally admitting to the other exactly how they felt. Well, Regina said it in words whereas the blonde just said it in actions. Admittedly she didn’t mind the way Emma had spoken her feelings, quite the opposite in fact. She revelled in the feel of the blonde’s lips pressed onto her, moulding perfectly against each other. Her face lit up at the thought of the other woman, subconsciously touching her lips as a small smile grew on them.

A familiar voice that she had missed so much drew her from her thoughts, flittering through the pub as a tall, redheaded woman swayed over to the brunette’s table next to the fireplace.

“Regina” she grinned, placing her sunglasses on the top of her and welcoming the brunette with open arms as Regina stood to engulf her big sister in a hug.

“Zelena, it’s great to see you. You look great” Regina said, taking her seat once again and gesturing to the bartender for two butterbeers.

“Thank you, dear sister. How’s life back here been treating you then? Met anyone new?” She asked.

Regina’s grin grew even wider as a blush spear across her cheeks. Unable to look her sister in the eye, she kept her gaze low as she brushed an invisible strand of hair behind her ear.

“Oh my god, you have haven’t you? Tell me all about him? What does he do?” Zelena gasped, chuckling at her little sister’s reaction to her never ending list of questions.

“Ok to answer your first question, yes I have met someone. To answer your second question, SHE is blonde and amazing and to answer your third she works at Hogwarts with me” Regina muttered, putting extra emphasis on the word ‘she’ and grinning at the other woman’s shocked expression.

“Oh, I honestly didn’t know that you were interested in women. How long have you know her then? What’s her name?” Zelena asked, taking a sip of her butterbeer which had arrived at their table.

“Christ what is this? 20 questions?” Regina teased “Her name is Emma and I have known her for a little over a week. I know it seems quite soon but I have honestly never felt like this towards anyone, not even Daniel and that sure is something”.

Everything still felt so new and so different with Emma, and something that was building between them made her want to go slow with the other woman. Not too slow, of course, that would be far too tedious and not what either of them would want. However, the brunette did not want to rush into anything they were not quite ready for or comfortable with.

“Well, she seems to be making you happy already. Do I get to meet her or is this some sort of ‘Don’t meet the sister, she will embarrass you’ type of thing?” Zelena grinned, playfully nudging her sister gently on the shoulder. It was, of course, one of her little pleasures in life to embarrass her little sister as much as she could, especially to someone of a romantic interest.

“Emma and Ruby will be popping by soon to say hello, not for long as they wanted us to have our own time together”

“How sweet, she’s already making sure you spend quality time with her future sister-in-law” Zelena grinned.

“You see, that is exactly what I mean by going too fast” Regina growled, looking up towards the entrance to the pub where the woman of her affections and her best friend wandered casually into the pub.

Spotting Regina instantly amongst the people currently inhabiting the pub, she smiled and gave an awkward wave that the brunette found far too adorable. The brunette still wondered how exactly they would be able to take it slow, the obvious attraction and chemistry between them both was instantly noticed by Ruby and Zelena who greeted each other in a friendly hug.

“Great to see you again Ruby” Zelena said.

“And you, how’s life in Scotland?”

“Wonderful thank you, Robin and I just love the peace and quiet and Ivy is just a dream come true” Zelena grinned, day dreaming about her family back at home “And who might you be?” she grinned at the blonde, knowing full well exactly who she was.

“Oh, sorry. I’m Emma, Emma Swan. Nice to meet you” Emma muttered shyly, reluctantly dragging her eyes away from Regina’s and looking at the other woman properly for the first time.

“Nice to meet you, Regina has told me a lot about you” She grinned, loving just how embarrassed she was becoming as she fidgeted inn her chair and avoided the blonde’s own grin.

“All good I hope” Emma chuckled.

“Of course, now worries there. Now I don’t really know how this works but do I have to do a big sister speech and say if you ever hurt my little sister, I will destroy you” Zelena spoke casually, sitting back in her chair with a grin as Emma slunk down in her chair rather nervously.

“Oh shut up, Zelena” Regina blushed, placing a comforting hand on the blonde’s own “Don’t worry about her, she’s just being an idiot”

Emma looked up and smiled at the brunette, lacing her fingers with the other woman. Not caring in the slightest at who was watching, she felt the need to capture those lips she had begun to miss with her own. Leaning forward in her chair, she met the other woman in the middle who had interpreted the move and done the same. They kept the kiss short and sweet, neither woman pushing too far to deepen the kiss. Grinning like idiots, they separated and subconsciously licked their lips as they chuckled lightly.

“Wait, back the fuck up. You guys are together?” Ruby asked, a shocked expression on her face as both women realised they hadn’t actually told their other friend or David. _Oh well,_ Regina thought, _saves us having to tell her later._

“Yeah, we’re taking things slow for now. Sorry, this only happened yesterday evening” Regina blushed, offering a sorry smile to her friend.

“Don’t be sorry, I’m bloody happy for you two!” She grinned, clapping her hands together fiercely “Now as much as I would love to stay and chat, I have some errands to run before lessons begin again tomorrow so I shall leave you guys two it”

“Hang on Rubes, I’m coming with you. I just wanted to see Regina and meet her sister I have also heard a lot about” Emma laughed, standing from her seat and unlacing her fingers “I’ll see you later, yeah?”

Regina grinned and blushed as she looked up into the hopeful eyes of her… girlfriend? Discussion for another day. “Of course, I shall come round to your chambers when I get back” she winked at the blonde, grinning as the blonde flushed red as she leaned down and planted a final kiss onto the brunette's waiting lips and then proceeded to stumble backwards as she followed Ruby out of the pub.

“Well, she was lovely” Zelena chuckled “I’m happy for you, Gina”

All she could do was grin, grin and blush as she thought of what the future could hold for her and the blonde who had become such an important part of her life in such a short space of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the next installment for you lovely people!!!
> 
> Any comments are much appreciated as always :)


	11. The Next Day

Monday morning came quicker than expected for Emma as she made her way down to the Great Hall. After the weekend she had just enjoyed, she could honestly say she was happy. Happier than she had been for a while after the revelation between herself and Regina. Both women had been honest with each other on Saturday, admitting their mutual feelings towards the other woman. Since then she had felt elated, imagining what could become of them as they explored what was slowly building between them. She would not rush into this, doing so could ruin the friendship they had already established. All she knew right now was that she liked the brunette who liked her back, from there all they needed to do was be comfortable and honest with each other as to where the relationship was moving.

Smiling slightly to herself, she pushed the double doors open and strode into the still stunning room that now showed a clear sky above. As she looked towards the table at the far end of the room, she instantly spotted her three colleagues whom she had so quickly come to call her friends. Striding forward, she looked around the hall and was surprised to see nearly all the seats occupied by students chatting amicably amongst each other. When she was studying at Hogwarts she never came down this early for breakfast, it was only half seven in the morning. Classes didn’t start till 9 and breakfast finished in just over an hour. However, the need to get up this early had been decided the night before so she could prepare for her next week of lessons. She knew it would take time to adjust to the new feeling of teaching, but she was enjoying it and quickly finding her way around the complex system that was Hogwarts. It would also give her time to decide on the perfect first date with Regina, deciding to ask her this morning for one later in the week. 

She took her regular seat at the table next to Ruby, not before she exchanged a subtle look with Regina who smiled sweetly at her.

“Good morning” Regina muttered, blushing as she took in the sight of the muscular blonde donned in her usual leather jacket, blue this morning, along with tight jeans and thin tank top.

“Good morning, sleep well?” Emma asked, not taking her gaze off the brunette woman.

“Very much so, yourself?”

“Of course”

“Did you guys know that pig’s orgasms can last for up to 30 minutes?” David announced, staring down at his plate piled with bacon and sausages before looking up at the stunned expression on his three friends who had all turned to stare at the man.

“What a way to put a stop to ridiculous small talk” Ruby grinned, laughing at everyone’s slightly surprised expression.

“Christ, I don’t know whether to feel jealous or concerned” Regina laughed, pushing away her plate that also contained a healthy amount of crispy bacon “And now I’m not so hungry anymore. Well for bacon that is” she grinned mischievously at the blonde woman who blushed at her comment.

“Lay off the sexual innuendos you guys. We’re all happy that you two have finally admitted what has been blaringly obvious to everyone, but we would rather not be scarred with mental images of the two of you” Ruby said.

“Everyone?” Regina asked, raising an expectant eyebrow at her smirking friend.

“Pretty much, even McGonagall had her suspicions of the two of you” Ruby laughed.

“We really are idiots, aren’t we?” Emma asked, watching Regina closely as her face grew redder and redder.

“It seems we were” Regina replied, grinning like an idiot at the blonde.

“Regina, can we just swap seats? I don’t really want to be sat between you two as you practically have eye sex across me” Ruby groaned, standing from her seat and tapping her foot as she waited for her friend to move.

Regina laughed at her friend’s incessant foot tapping, rising from her seat gracefully before occupying the seat Ruby had just vacated. Reaching over the table, she grabbed a serving of porridge this time, unable to shake David’s random outburst on pig’s orgasms. Smiling, she looked up and locked eyes with the blonde and threw her a casual wink before tucking into her warm porridge.

“Did you have a nice time with Zelena then?” Emma asked, enjoying her own serving of bacon who seemed unfazed by the earlier conversation.

“I did, thank you. We spent most of the time just wandering around Hogsmeade. She’s planning on bringing Robin and Ivy when she visits next”

“Thank god, I’m dying to meet the little girl” Ruby grinned.

“Yes, I told her you wanted to meet her” Regina laughed.

“Me too!” David exclaimed.

“And you, all of you” She looked towards Emma as she finished her sentence who offered a shy smile.

“I hardly know her, but I would like to get to know her sister” She grinned “Speaking of which, you got any plans this Friday?”

Regina couldn’t stop smiling at the blonde, wishing now that they were alone away from prying eyes. It was still so new, so she was not about to make a public display of affection “I am indeed, what pray tell, were you planning?”

“Secret, just be ready for 7 for my arrival” She winked at the brunette.

"But, what should I wear?" She asked sweetly, trying to work out the blonde's plan of action.

"Whatever you feel comfortable in. You don't have to dress up for me Regina, you look beautiful in anything"

She couldn't stop grinning. Add that to the now growing blush on her features, she felt like a lovesick teenager taking to her crush. Well, she was talking to her crush, but she was no lovesick teenager. At least she thought she wasn't, but the blonde did make her feel light and young again.

"Aww, look at you two. Makes me sick!" Ruby laughed.

"Whatever, Rubes!" Regina said, shoving her friend a little more forcefully than expected who then fell to the floor with a thud.

Regina burst out laughing at her friend nursing an injured bottom, who had joined in on the laughter along with Emma and David "Sorry Rubes, a lot stronger than I look I guess"

"Pfft, whatever Mills" Ruby grinned, taking her seat again as she grinned at her friend.

“Well, as much as I would love to stay and tease Ruby, I best head off to get a few things ready for today. See you guys later” Emma said.

She rose from her seat and strode towards the double doors, sharing a huge grin with the brunette as she pushed them open and left. Regina was left wandering exactly what the blonde had prepared for Friday, as her excitement began to build along with her nerves.

“You two do seem happy though” Ruby giggled, nudging her blushing friend a little more carefully that she had to Ruby.

Yes, she could honestly say that she was indeed happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, writers block is a bitch! If anyone has any tips as to how to get rid of it, I would very much appreciate your insight :)


	12. Getting Ready

The week dragged by for Emma, her days now full of excited students wanting to learn anything they could about the dark arts. She loved how immersed they were in their work, watching on as they attempted anything she threw their way. The lessons were never created to be easy, quite the opposite. However, the students still managed to somehow mistake or forget an instruction which had resulted in a few broken windows and ornaments here and there. It didn’t cause too many problems for her, but she was glad that it was finally Friday. Finally time to be with Regina for tonight.

  
Her interactions with the brunette during the week were limited, both women having most of their time taken up with school. This gave her time to think of the perfect date… was it a date? They hadn’t really discussed it, but she was going with date for now. Unless proven otherwise, of course. But she had a good feeling about this night, and she was going to do her best to impress the other woman.

  
Her plan for the evening was simple. She had decided to show the brunette a little bit of her past, choosing to take her out of Hogwarts and into the England countryside she was familiar with. There was a lovely restaurant that she could remember, nestled in a nearby village with a peaceful atmosphere. It was somewhere she remembered from when she studied at Hogwarts, visiting it with Graham. And then with Lily. Now she wanted to take Regina, knowing the place would be perfect for them to interact privately without familiar faces prying. The restaurant held sentimental value to her, she only took people she trusted and someone she could confide in. How things have changed, those exact people were now no longer part of her life.

  
However, she was currently sat in her office reading through numerous papers on different defensive spells from her fourth year students. This had to have been the most infuriating part of teaching, grading everything she assigned to her students. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy it, quite the opposite, but she found it hard to concentrate knowing a certain brunette was in her quarters preparing for their date.

  
Sighing, Emma placed her quill down on one of her Ravenclaw student’s papers, deciding to leave it on a positive note for the day on an excellent explanation of the disarming spell. She stood from her seat, rounded her desk and strode towards the exit, grabbing her leather jacket and robe before she left. The walk to her own quarters would only take a few minutes, using this time to go through all her plans to leave Regina wanting more from her. Keeping her gaze down, she nearly collided head first into the frame of her fellow Professor, August Booth.

  
“Ah, good evening Professor Booth” Emma beamed. She hadn’t interacted with the bright, young professor much but that didn't mean that they didn’t get along.

  
“Please, call me August, Emma. Any plans for the evening?” August asked, moving his large amount of papers under the crook of his left arm.

  
“Yes, actually. Visiting a local village for a meal, The Red Apple is the name of the restaurant”

  
“Oh yes, quite fond of that place. Exquisite food” August said, smacking his lips to emphasise his like to the food “Taking anyone nice?”

  
His eyebrow rose expectantly, making Emma wander if he knew about her and Regina. The only people who knew were the brunette woman herself, Ruby and David.

  
“August, do you know something?” She asked, raising her eyebrow as she took in the grinning face in front of her.

  
“Well, let’s just say a young male and female professor that we both know well have been gossiping about you and another female professor that we also know well” He grinned, bouncing on the balls of his feet and waggling his eyebrows “So, what’s up with you and Regina then?”

  
Emma groaned internally, not really sure how to handle the situation she was currently in. She had wanted to keep this quiet until things were a little more certain between her and Regina, but she didn’t want to lie to him.

  
“I’m gonna kill Ruby and David! And if you must know, we both like each other and we are seeing how things go between us” Emma spoke, earning a small chuckle fall from the lips of her co-worker.

  
“Don’t worry, they mean well. Anyway, enjoy your evening” He grinned, walking past Emma with a wink.

  
“You too, August” Emma chuckled, shaking her head thinking of her loud-mouthed friends.

  
Oh well, there goes keeping it quiet for now. To be honest, she was happy that someone else knew, meant both her and Regina could feel comfortable around others without judgement. She continued walking along the corridor, down a few flights of stairs before making it to her quarters quite close to the Great Hall. Swinging the door open, she flung her jacket and robe onto the chair to the right of the sofa and flicked her wand located in her jeans in the general direction of the fireplace as a fire sprung to life.

  
She then proceeded to prepare her outfit for the night. Dresses were never really her thing, if she was going to enjoy the evening which she very much planned on doing, then she would feel comfortable and sexy in what she wanted to wear. Not wanting to go overboard but not wanting to look like a slob, she opted on her nicest pair of jeans, white blouse that hugged her curves and accentuated her breasts nicely and a pair of black pumps to finish the ensemble along with a simple set of lingerie. After all, this night was only their first date and she wasn’t going to expect anything out of it. Well, straight away that is.

  
With her outfit prepared, she stripped her current ensemble off her body and turned her music on coming from her own player as she hopped into her shower. Her speakers sprung to life, Queen’s Crazy Little Thing Called Love could be heard over the relaxing sound of running water gushing over the blonde’s head. She let the warm water and the feel of the bass soothe her muscles and calm her mind, which was currently playing scenarios over and over again that could end in disaster. _Chill Swan_ , she thought, _don’t let your past problems stop you from enjoying your future_.

  
Her past had indeed not been a happy one in the way of love, either with a romantic partner or as a friendship. Her parents had of course discarded her, Lily had left her feeling hurt and lonely and honestly losing touch with Graham had left her feeling abandoned, even if he was not at fault entirely. Her experiences in foster care hadn’t been delightful, the scars adorning her body showed just how unpleasant it had been for the young blonde. But now she had a real chance at happiness, even if she had only known the brunette woman for a couple of weeks and there was still so much to learn about her.

Smiling, she turned the shower off and exited her shower, proceeding to dry herself with a towel previously laid out. As she did so, she reached for her music player to change the song over. Vanessa Carlton's A Thousand Miles filtered softly through her speakers, as she began to sing along to the upbeat song whilst drying off.

_If I could fall, into the sky._

_Do you thing time, would pass me by._

_'Cause you know I'd walk_

_A thousand miles_

_If i could just see you,_

_Tonight._

It was a song she had remembered since she was younger, loving the sound of the tempo to the woman's voice singing the soothing words. It reminded her of a better part of her life, whilst also making her thing to Regina. She wanted to make the other woman happy, as happy as she felt when around her. The feeling of screwing everything up between them was very strong, but the feeling of everything finally falling into place was even stronger. Tonight was going to be a great start for them.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems as if my writers block has disappeared for the time being!
> 
> Any comments greatly appreciated :D


	13. We're going to be late!

Her room was now covered in clothes, dresses here and there that just didn’t seem to work for her tonight. Dressing up was never a problem for Regina, but right now she was nervous. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest as panic began to seep into her mind. She had been thinking about this night for the past week, and now it was finally here all her concerns and worries took over as she began to viciously rub her temples trying to calm her mind.

“It’s ok Mills, no need to be nervous” She whispered to herself, pacing around her room “It’s just Emma, you like Emma. She likes you, you idiot. No need to be stressing and over thinking every single damn detail of the evening”

She shook her head, walked back towards her wardrobe to look for anything that could suffice for the evening. Deciding it better to leave the dresses for the evening, she began to look through her smarter tops and trousers in search of anything she would feel pleased with. It was a big night, but she wanted to feel comfortable in her own skin and her outfit would help with that. She had always been concerned on what others thought towards her, her mother had always said first impressions matter which was greatly affected by looks. However, she knew Emma wasn’t the type to judge her on what she wore but she still wanted to dress to impress.

Taking deep breaths in and out, she decided listening to some music may just calm her frantic thoughts. Flicking her wand that was lying on her cabinet, her record player sprung to life and Fleetwood Mac began to echo through her room. She let the song calm her mind, always finding music a good way to forget her troubles. It had seemed to do the trick, as she pulled out a tight, pencil skirt falling to mid-thigh, a stylish blouse and black jacket to finish plus her favourite black heels that showed her lean legs off nicely. With her outfit planned, she began to style her hair into light curls and apply a light layer of make up wanting to keep it simple. She had an hour now until the blonde was due to collect her, seen as she spent the past two hours stressing ridiculously over her wardrobe choices. Once applied, she dressed herself in her decided outfit and poured herself a small amount of firewhiskey, allowing the still playing music to calm her mind further.

Before Regina had a chance to overthink her styling choices for the evening, a knock sounded on her door. It echoed through her quarters, as she stood and walked towards the door, taking measured and steady breaths as she went. Regina had missed feeling elated yet nervous all at the same time, she hadn’t found any interest in anyone since Daniel. Needless to say she was indeed nervous, nervous to expose herself to the vibrant blonde who had so easily taken her breath and any rational thinking away. To be honest with herself, she didn’t really care, the blonde made her feel alive and she thrived on that feeling.

Tentatively opening the door, she took in the presence of Emma stood on the other side, dressed casually for the evening in sinfully tight jeans – how much tighter can they get? - showing off her incredible muscles and blouse that fitted her just right that made her mouth water, her hair curled lightly at the ends and falling graciously down her back. Regina couldn’t deny it, Emma was beautiful. She stood nervously with her hands kept behind her back and shuffling from foot to foot.

“Hi” Emma muttered, blushing as she raked the brunette’s body up and down taking in her appearance.

“Hi yourself” Regina replied, stepping aside to allow the other woman to enter “Would you like to come in or are you just enjoying the view?”

Regina grinned at the blush that grew even further on the blonde’s stunning features, knowing that remark had the desired effect.

“Uh… yeah, sure. Thanks”

Emma took a deep breath before stepping over the threshold, bringing her clasped hands forward and presenting the brunette with a bunch of tulips. It was just pure coincidence that they were Regina’s favourite, having grown them in her parent’s backyard when she was much younger.

“Wow, these are stunning” taking the bunch, she inhaled the intoxicating scent and grinned, locking eyes with the fidgety blonde in front of her “Thank you Emma, really. These are my favourite”

"Really?" Emma said surprised, happy that she didn't screw up something she had thought long and hard about.

"Really" Regina grinned, moving away from the open door and further into her chambers, creating a vase filled with water from the tip of her wand. Placing them carefully into the vase, she spun around and faced her smirking visitor looking at her record player.

“Fleetwood Mac, very nice. More of a Queen girl myself, can’t deny the pull of that damn Another One Bites the Dust” chuckling, she started humming the tune out loud.

“My music tastes vary. I love Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Bryan Adams and the like but if I hear any Taylor Swift song, I can’t help but sing and dance along” Regina giggled, taking a step closer to the other woman.

“Full of surprises, aren’t you?” Emma stated, also closing the distance between the two women. Once reaching her destination mere inches from the other woman, she placed a chaste kiss on the brunette’s cheek. Looking up, she frowned at the similar expression on the other woman’s face.

“What’s wrong?”

“You missed”

Before Emma had a chance to even think about a reply, Regina had surged forward and captured her own lips in a hungry kiss, looping her arms around her neck as Emma encircled her waist, pulling their bodies closer together. A moan escaped one of the woman’s lips, neither knowing exactly which mouth the sound came from. They battled for dominance, tongue against tongue, teeth scraping along a plump bottom lip before capturing it and sucking. Pale hands roamed over a back as olive toned hands gripped and entangled into blonde locks to pull her mouth even closer. Panting, both women pulled apart, desperately seeking much needed oxygen as they stared deeply into the other’s eyes.

“Well” Regina coughed, her voice raspy and deep as her eyes grew darker taking in the blushing blonde.

“That was…” Emma replied, not quite knowing what else to say “something we should definitely continue later, but unfortunately if we don’t hurry we may just miss our reservation”

Regina giggled, removing her arms from around the other woman and instantly missing the contact before grabbing her jacket, purse and wand as she stashed them away on her person. Making sure she had every essential item at hand, she turned to see Emma waiting by the open door with her hand out to the brunette, ready to intertwine their fingers and begin the walk towards her hidden gem of a restaurant, The Dragon Queen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I'm super super sorry for the late post to the next chapter. My laptop charger malfunctioned and I haven't been able to sort the damn thing out!
> 
> Any comments or criticism much appreciated :D


	14. New Places and Familiar Faces

The walk to the restaurant had been pleasant and not nearly as long as Emma remembered. The cool, September breeze calmed her nerves as she gripped the hand still clasped in hers, gently rubbing circles over hers with the thumb. Looking over, she spotted the brunette looking up to the clear sky, smiling at the sun shining brightly on the two of them. Although the trees lining the pathway blocked most of the view, the sun still managed to shine through the branches and cascade light onto the couple.

“It’s lovely out tonight, perfect for a walk” Regina sighed, relaxing her shoulders and taking a deep breath. They had been walking along the quiet footpath, deep in the countryside now with no humans or animals insight. Neither women seemed to care even if a hoard of centaurs came galloping down the path, both just content to be in the company of the other.

“Would you prefer to climb Mount Everest or go Sky Diving?” Emma asked, turning to Regina who gave her a curious gaze at the unusual question choice. She raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, encouraging the other woman to elaborate. “Well, we want to get to know each other and I thought it would be an interesting place to start” Emma shrugged, glancing down at the floor and blushing.

“Hmmm, I guess I would prefer to go Sky Diving. Falling seems like more of a thrill then climbing, and it seems like less chance of dying. You?” Regina replied, thinking for a question of her own to match the Blonde’s.

“Definitely climb Mount Everest, just imagine the views. And how many people get to say they have done that in their lifetime” Emma grinned.

“My turn, would you rather swim with Dolphins or swim with Sharks?” She asked, as they walked towards the end of the footpath before feeling a tugging on her arm as Emma directed them left down the dimly lit street, houses lined one side of the street as cars lined the other.

“Dolphins, it’s not that I don’t like Sharks but they are just such majestic animals. I’m in awe at the way they move through the water”

“Agreed, although it would be rather thrilling to come face to face with a Great White” Regina grinned, kicking at an invisible stone on the floor as she gently rubbed circles with the pad of her thumb over the blonde’s hand. Even the little touches with the woman sent shivers up her spine, loving the feel of her hand in hers.

“As long as there is a metal crate between me and the animal, then I’m all for it” Emma laughed, glancing to the woman for a split second before looking in the distance and seeing the brightly lit sign to the restaurant in the distance indicating their destination was approaching. The sign looked like it hadn’t changed since the last time she was there, indicating to her that the possibility that the interior had changed was minimal.

It had been quite a few years since she had walked down this road hand in hand with someone she cared very deeply for, either platonically or romantically, and she realised that she had missed that feeling. Missed having someone she could trust in her life, missed the intimacy with another person and the late night talks. All she knew was that she would try her very best to make whatever was growing between her and Regina work, and she would not let her past troubles bring her down.

“Would you rather go on holiday somewhere sunny and exotic or adventurous and educational?” Regina asked, rousing her from her thoughts as she turned to take in the relaxed state of the other woman.

“Both, I’d love to sunbathe somewhere that holds so much history in its buildings and landscape. There’s just something so alluring about Egypt, definitely top of my list to visit in my lifetime” Emma grinned.

“I’ll remember that for future references” Regina muttered, suddenly realising that she was thinking about a future with the blonde woman. The thoughts that came to her should have terrified her due to the little time they have known each other, but her excitement grew at the feeling of a happy life.

“What about you?” Emma asked, drawing her out of her ideas and thoughts for the future.

“I don’t really mind how hot or not a holiday destination would be, but it would have to hold a lot of history so I would agree with you there. Rome or Venice are my top choices” She replied, stopping alongside Emma outside the restaurant where they would be shortly enjoying their first meal as a couple.

“Well, here we are” Emma said shyly, opening the door to allow the other woman to enter the small but dimly lit restaurant. There were only a few diners seated as they entered, already enjoying a quiet meal. The sound of soft jazz could be heard filtering through the speakers lining the walls, playing at the perfect volume for others to have quiet conversations uninterrupted by the music. Emma took in the sight of the restaurant that she had missed for so long, a slight smile growing on her face as she realised that it had not changed from the gorgeous dining establishment it was.

“Wow, its lovely Emma” Regina smiled at the other woman, leaning up to place a kiss on her blushing cheek. A waitress walked over to them, the smile on her face never faltering as she grabbed a couple of menus for the two women.

“Hello, welcome to The Dragon Queen. Do you have a reservation?” The waitress asked.

“Yes, my name is Emma Swan?” She replied, as the loud sound of clattering could be heard from somewhere to there right.

All three women turned at the noise, the waitress rushed over to collect the fallen cutlery from the shocked diner, Regina frowning at the scene before her as Emma let out a gasp at the face she was now staring at, who in turn could not look away from her. Taking in the scene before her, she could only mutter one word.

“Lily”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I do love a cliffhanger!! :D
> 
> Any comments and/or criticism much appreciated!


	15. The Dragon Queen

Regina stood, rooted to the spot, just staring at the two women holding each other’s gaze. She never expected to be in this situation, and certainly not when she was on a date with the blonde woman, still standing with her mouth agape. Lily took a few tentative steps forward, not wanting to scare the woman away from her current position.

“Hi” Lily mumbled shyly “It’s been a long time, Em” fidgeting from foot to foot as she spoke.

“Yeah, it has” She replied, as she looked back over at Regina and swiftly exited the establishment, both women hot on her heels as she marched into the cool, welcome evening air.

“Please Em, listen to me” Lily called, grasping her shoulders to turn her around, not expecting her to swivel abruptly and glare at her with only hatred in her eyes.

“Why should I? Give me one good reason not to walk away right now, from any more of your shit. You left me Lily, with no explanation as to why you left. You broke me, you made me feel abandoned just like my parents did. What makes you think you deserve to even speak to me?” Emma growled, moving further away from Lily and shaking her head as she crossed her arms defensively.

“I truly am sorry Emma, I didn’t mean to hurt you the way I did or leave you in that way. I know there is nothing I can do to make it up to you, for you to trust me again. Something happened and I had to leave, I did it for my own happiness and I knew I couldn’t drag you along aswell” She cried, tears running down her cheeks as she desperately tried to plead with the woman she once knew so well.

“Cut the crap Lily, I don’t want to hear whatever sob story you have to tell me. Seriously, what does make you think that I should hear you out, give me a good enough reason why I should listen to you” Emma yelled.

“To be honest, I can’t give you a single reason. If you don’t ever want to see me again then that’s fine, but I owe it to you and what we had to explain to you what happened” She sighed, hoping and praying she may get through to the blonde woman.

Emma paused to think about the past twenty seconds, everything the other woman had said to her and all the questions she had been asking herself over the years. If she was honest, she did want to hear her out, finally find out why she had left and move on with her life.

“Fine, but not tonight. Tonight I had a lovely evening planned out perfectly” as she spoke, she turned to face Regina and a genuine smile appeared on her hard features as she reached for her hands “I’m sorry if this evening is now ruined”

“It’s not your fault, darling” Regina replied, noticing how easily the term of endearment slipped off her tongue “And it’s not ruined, it’s only just started”

Grinning, Emma leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on her lips before turning to the other woman, who watched the interaction with happiness on her face, hoping that Emma had finally found someone she would be happy with.

“Fine, I will hear you out. Meet me tomorrow morning at 11 at the Three Broomsticks, no later” She muttered, her face softening now as she looked upon the other woman. She was skinnier than Emma remembered, her hair had definitely grown longer and looked much darker, there were bags under her still very blue eyes. As much as Emma wanted to hate her, to scream at her to leave her and anyone she cared about alone, she couldn’t. Something about the other woman had captivated her from the start, and once she had the answers she had been seeking then she could finally forget about her past mistakes.

“Thank you, thank you so much Emma. I’m sorry for ruining your evening, I hope you have a great night” She grinned, turning to walk back into the establishment they had exited.

Once out of sight, Emma turned to face Regina with a sad smile on her features “So, that was Lily” Emma laughed, wrapping her arms around the slender waist of her date, as Regina placed her arms around her neck, bringing her face closer to hers.

“That was Lily” She nodded “Do you want to go back inside, or would you rather we headed back seen as she will be in there?”

“I’m sorry, I truly am, but is it ok if we head back this one time? I don’t think I can manage being in there with her for now” She whispered, resting their foreheads together and breathing in the calm air.

“Of course, I totally understand. We can plan this for another night, there is no rush” She smiled at the woman, grabbing her hand and leading her back the way they came and back towards the castle “How about a drink in the Three Broomsticks before we head back, I could do with a firewhiskey”

“Are you sure? You know what that drink does to you” Emma laughed, interlocking their fingers together as she gazed upon the marvellously calm woman.

“Oh shut up, you’re as bad as the other two, maybe worse”

“Yeah, but you can’t get enough of it though” She singed, laughing as she pulled the other woman close to her and wrapped her arms tightly round her waist, as the other woman threaded her fingers through her hair and pulled her lips towards hers in a fiery kiss.

Both women moaned at the intimate contact, Emma wrapping her arms tighter around her as Regina tugged lightly on her hair. The cool breeze around them did nothing to quell the heat building between the two women, both needing the other as close as possible, not caring if anyone was around them as the kiss deepened and their tongues duelled for dominance.

“Wait” Regina husked, pulling away from the woman with dilated pupils and a hunger in her eyes, her expression matching the blonde’s lust filled gaze. She knew it would be difficult for them to keep their hands off each other as they both desperately needed the feeling of the other.

“Did I do something wrong?” She whispered, her expression changing in an instant as she looked upon the woman with a fear of rejection.

“No, not at all darling, but I think we shouldn’t rush too fast. I like you, a lot, and I don’t want us to rush when we aren’t ready” She muttered, releasing her grip in the woman’s hair and wrapping her arms around her neck.

“Of course, would you like to accompany me to the Three Broomsticks for a meal and a drink?” She asked, stepping away from the embrace and bowing as she extended her hand for the woman to take.

“I would love to” Regina replied, taking the hand and smiling at the sappy grin the blonde now had on her face. She didn’t know exactly where this was headed for the both of them, but from what she could tell so far she was sure going to enjoy the journey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems I have gotten rid of that bloody writers block! Also, anyone else just love the SDCC panel today? British evil regal here so the time difference was a bit big!
> 
> Any comments or criticism is greatly appreciated :D


	16. The Three Broomsticks

The streets of Hogsmeade were rather busy for quarter to 11 on a Saturday morning and even Emma was second guessing her decision to meet up with Lily at this time. She had never been much of a morning person, preferring to choose the comfort of her bed rather than the cold draft that would hit her nearly bare body as soon as the covers were thrown off her. However, here she was sat outside the cozy building of the Three Broomsticks with a fresh tankard of butterbeer waiting for Lily to make an appearance. She knew she was early, but this was just something that had aggravated her for many years and she just had to know, had to know the answers to the many questions that were stowed away in her brain.

“Thought you may have gotten here early” A voice sounded behind her, but knowing who it belonged to she merely smirked and sat still in her spot.

“Too anxious to wait around” She muttered, taking a sip of her butterbeer, licking away the slight moustache it had created on her top lip.

“I understand, I really do Em” Lily grinned at her, taking a seat opposite the blonde woman who just gave her an emotionless stare.

“Do you not want one?” The blonde asked, raising her butterbeer to the woman.

“I’m ok thanks, find them too sweet for my taste now” She laughed, crossing her legs and placing her hands delicately on her knees. She spent a long time just staring at the blonde, a small smile etched onto her lips as she thought back to their early memories together.

“What are you thinking about?” Emma asked, taking in the woman’s serene expression before straightening her back and delicately placing her hands on the table.

“You. Us. What we were to each other, back then” Lily blushed, looking down at her lap as she nervously scratched the back of her neck.

Emma sighed, casting her eyes down as she prepared her long list of questions in her head “Lily, that is in the past now. What we are to each other now depends on how this goes. Besides, I really like Regina, and you know that I don’t turn down something that makes me as happy as she does”

“I know, I truly am sorry for hurting you Em. That was never my intention” She muttered, looking into the emerald eyes now staring at her.

“Why did you leave then?” She asked, waiting patiently for the answer she was dying to hear.

“Honestly, for many reasons. Something happened at home, I can’t quite explain what but it affected me here and it would have eventually affected you, it would have ruined us. So I left, I did it for me but I did it for you as well. I know this sounds super cliché Em but it was never you, it was me. I got scared, scared that I would eventually destroy what we had and what we could be. So, I did what I thought was best for you. I ran, I thought I was giving you your best chance at life if I wasn’t in the picture with my problems. I went home, did what I had to do even if leaving you was the biggest mistake of my life. I realised not long after that I shouldn’t have been scared, that us together could have conquered anything but by that time it was too late”

“You really think that was best? You really think I wouldn’t be happy with you? Or that I wouldn’t help you with whatever you had to deal with at home?” She asked.

“I don’t know, at the time I wasn’t in the best place and thought me being there would hold you back. But now I know that was a stupid thing for me to do, for me to think. However, look how well you have done now. Professor at Hogwarts, great friends and a beautiful woman on your arm” Lily sighed, a small tear escaping her eyes.

At the woman’s last words Emma couldn’t help but smile, the thought of having something amazing with Regina really did bring joy to her “Lily, I know that I am in a good place now but you have no idea how much you hurt me back then. I thought I had done something to scare you away, that I wasn’t good enough for you”

“Quite the opposite, you were perfect in my eyes. It was me, I couldn’t be the one for you. I still love you Em, never really stopped” She laughed nervously.

 “I have so many questions; did you see us having a future? Was there anyone else in the picture? Did you realize then that your actions would hurt me? But I guess what I really want to know is… Did you find happiness? Are you happy, Lily?” She asked.

“I was, I mean I did find someone who I was happy with. At least, I thought I was happy with her but something seemed to be holding me back. That something was you, Emma. I know I handled the whole thing badly but I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me”

Emma knew that she couldn’t stay mad at the brunette woman for long, she had meant so much to her so many years ago and she still felt a flicker of happiness when she was with her. She also knew that she couldn’t give her what she wanted, now beginning to find everything she was looking for in Regina.

“I love you too, but not as I used to. Lily, all I will ever be to you now is a friend, I can’t go through that again and I don’t want to. I’m sorry” She sighed, emptying her butterbeer in one large gulp before wiping the remnants away with the back of her hand.

“Please don’t apologise Em, it was never your fault. If friendship is all you want from me, then friendship is what I can give you. Just give me some time, and hopefully some patience” Lily muttered, smiling slightly at the other woman, the look of disappointment evident on her slim features.

“Of course Lil, if that is what you desire. If you are ever in need to talk to me about what happened at home then you know I am here” Emma said, glancing at her watch as she spoke “Would you like to come with me to Honeydukes? I promised Regina I’d pick up some of her favourite sweets before I headed back” she laughed, standing from her seat and slipping her jacket back on her shoulders.

“I’m ok thanks, I’ve got to head back to the Pub. I have a shift this afternoon and got to get some stuff done before hand, but if you are free tomorrow I’d love to meet you again here, bring Regina along as well if you want to” Lily said, shoving her hands in the pockets of her baggy jeans as she looked deep into emerald eyes.

“Ok, yeah sounds good. How about we meet here at 2, will that be ok?” She asked.

“Perfect, see you Em” Lily grinned, waving shyly as she turned on her heels and walked back in the direction that she came as Emma waved back and went in the opposite direction to Honeydukes. The conversation had gone better than she expected, but they still had a long way to go before she could trust the other woman again. But for now she would just enjoy the rest of her Saturday, doing whatever herself and Regina desired.


End file.
